Something Wild
by Catelyn Tsukino
Summary: Another Identity Reveal AU, but this time Marinette is the excited one and Adrien is the insecure one. (Can also be found on AO3.)
1. If you're lost out where the lights are

It has been two years since Ladybug and Chat Noir fought their first akuma and Marinette and Adrien met. As Hawkmoth's attacks grew to happen more and more often, they started patrolling every night, something that proved to be very useful... and _extremely_ tiresome.

Although they did their best to hide, both Marinette and Adrien would go to school exhausted from being awake all night for patrol. It wasn't uncommon for them being caught sleeping in classes or at the library, and the only thing that prevented their grades from falling was their friends' help.

It also helped that they managed to get doctors to diagnose them with insomnia, which made their teachers go a bit easier on them.

Marinette's crush on Adrien never faded, and neither did Alya's teasing on the matter.

"If I didn't know you better girl, I'd think that you and Adrien don't sleep because you spend all night making out", she would say on occasion.

"Oh, I wish", she'd reply sincerely, only to hear her friend's final words:

"But I know you would die of a heart attack before even kissing him, so it's not the case."

Marinette would groan every time the reporter said that.

However, as time went by, she found herself harboring feelings for a certain black cat (well, a boy dressed in a black cat suit, but you get it). As he toned down his puns and shameless flirting, she got to actually know her partner, and she found him almost as endearing as her model friend.

Almost. She's been loving Adrien for too long for her new feelings for Chat to be equal.

Speaking of Adrien... She found being just friends with him wasn't as bad as she thought. After her failure at getting a romantic ride with him, Alix (yeah, it surprised her too) started a 'tough love therapy' to get her to stop being so awkward around her crush.

It worked. That's all that's needed to know about it.

The thing is, she fell even more in love with him as she got to know him better. She learned about his nerdiness and love for anime, and got a clearer view on how difficult his home life was. He had a thing for sweets (something that made Marinette's day when she found out) and Camembert cheese (which she decided to not question).

She also found out, more recently, that he had a huge crush on Ladybug. This discovery left her thrilled and confused at the same time.

"Tikki, I don't understand", she told her kwami that night (it was Chat Noir' turn for patrol). "You always say Ladybug is Marinette and vice-versa. If he spends so much time around civilian me, why he fell for Ladybug me?"

Tikki tilted her head. "I don't know Mari... What does he like about Ladybug?"

"I'm not sure... I think it's something about being brave, fierce, willing to help others...", she blushed as she listed the adjectives Adrien used to describe her super heroine self. "It doesn't make sense to me, Tikki. When I'm Ladybug I feel I'm more... _professional_ , you know? Like, I'm doing my job saving Paris from akumas. There's no way he can see enough of my personality to have feelings for me..."

"What if he's Chat Noir? He knows you well enough."

Marinette fell silent at this question. Two years ago, she would have dismissed the idea immediately. Now it didn't seem all that impossible... just unlikely. "That would be great, Tikki, but how many blond green-eyed guys live in Paris? What are the chances that _Adrien_ of all people is Chat Noir? Also... if he was Adrien I should have recognized him by now, shouldn't I?"

Her kwami shook her head. "Remember the glamour I told you about? The one that prevents Alya from seeing that her best friend is the super hero she chases daily?" Mari nods. "You and Chat are not immune to it. If Adrien is Chat, you are just as unable to see it as anyone else, unless he either tells you or gets caught by you."

She nodded and sighed. "I see. Well, I can only hope Adrien one day sees that I'm a better option than Ladybug. It's not like I can go on a date in my super hero clothes, you know?" She giggled and went back to her homework.

-x-

Adrien was already seeing it.

As he spent more time with Marinette, he began to see the girl behind all the nervousness and stuttering, and fell for her.

There were two problems, though.

One, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't move on from Ladybug. She was his first love and, as he got to know her better in their shared patrols (which happened three times a week), it was hard to not fall for her even more.

Two, he was sure she didn't feel the same (neither of them, actually).

"Adrien, _she likes you_ ", Plagg insisted one day.

"No, she doesn't. Marinette can have _any guy_ in that school, why would she pick me?"

"You can have any girl in that school too, you know?"

"Because I'm a _model_ , Plagg! Mari is crushed by tons of people, me included, because of her _personality_. I'm pretty sure if anyone got to see who this model really is, they'd give up in a instant."

Plagg sighed. "Look kid, I know your self esteem is not the best, but you really should stop thinking so low of yourself. You _are_ a great guy. Ask any of your friends, which, let me remind you, are your whole class. Ask _Marinette_."

Adrien frowned. "It's not that. All these fangirls have an image of me that... well, it's just not me. People have expectations of what I am, and I don't need self esteem to know that a nerd dork is not what they expect."

"And yet you didn't lose any friend you got these two years."

"Yeah, but a _crush_ on me? Not even Chloe has it anymore."

"Chloe doesn't count, she's lesbian. She never truly crushed on you to begin with."

Adrien didn't reply tthat. Plagg had a point; Chloe got out of the closet two months ago. Sometimes it still surprised him how much his kwami knew of his world, even though most of the time he only talked about cheese. He was still unsure of how he managed to talk about Marinette for so long.

"You could always go for Ladybug again, if you are so insecure", Plagg suggested, interrupting his thinking. "She had no model image of you to be broken."

"I know", he sighed. "But do you really think we could have an actual relationship without revealing ourselves? You know she thinks it's too dangerous. You even agreed once."

Plagg shrugged. He didn't have an answer to that.

-x-

Adrien didn't have to worry about identity reveals for too long after that day.

A week later, a knife-themed akuma injured Chat Noir seconds after he used Cataclysm. Ladybug defeated it as quickly as she could, but when she finally managed to dodge the knives, destroy the akumatized and cleanse the akuma, Chat had less than a minute left before he detransformed. And his injuries left him unable to move.

Marinette didn't think twice. She grabbed her kitty and left the scene before even using Miraculous Ladybug.

She found an empty alley nearby just as he detransformed. She started to turn her head, but it was too late.

Adrien Agreste was half-conscious in her arms.

She casted Miraculous Ladybug quietly and waited for its light to surround him, erasing his injuries. He opened his eyes soon after.

"My Lady? What happened...?"

Oh, crap, He didn't realize he wasn't Chat Noir anymore.

"Couteau d'Argent stabbed your abdomen and... one of your l-legs", she got more nervous as she spoke. She'd have to tell him. "Your miraculous was beeping... Y-You had only a few seconds so I... I brought you here before casting the cure... _Andyoushouldlookdownandseeforyourself_."

Adrien blinked. "What did you say, My Lad..." He grabbed her arm to stand up and looked at his hands, eyes widening as he noticed he wasn't wearing gloves. Ladybug couldn't stop herself.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry! I didn't mean to see you but it was all too fast for to look away but it was better than risk you detransforming in front of all Paris and I'm really sor-"

She was interrupted by a pair of arms surrounding her. She felt Adrien's head resting on her shoulder. "It's okay, My Lady. You saved my life _and_ my secret. If anything I'm glad it was you who found out."

His sweetness managed to calm her down, and she hugged him back. "I'll always protect you, mon chaton."


	2. I'm frozen by the fear in me

Later that night, Ladybug and Chat Noir met for patrol.

"Do you want to talk about it?", Chat asked her when they landed and sat on random roof.

She sighed. "Maybe? I don't even know what to say besides 'your secret is safe with me', which is kinda obvious." She turned to him. "Do _you_ want to say anything?"

He bit his lip. "Are you... disappointed?"

Her eyes widened. "What? Why would I be disappointed?"

"Well", he began quietly, looking at his hands on his lap. "I'm Adrien Agreste. Famous supermodel. You must see me everyday on adds across all Paris. I'm sure you had an image of me that... is not Chat."

"You better stop right there", she snapped. He looked at her with wide eyes, but she ignored it. "You are a _great_ guy, Chat Noir. My best friend, even counting the ones I have in my civilian life. The fact that you are so kind and fun and selfless despite being a celebrity... It's better than any expectation I could ever have of you." She turned her eyes away from him for an instant. "Not that I had any. I don't spend time thinking about how people in adds are in real life."

He couldn't help but giggle at her last sentence. Then he replied, voice still low. "Thank you, my Lady."

She turned to him again, smiling. "You're welcome. Now let's keep going." She stood up, grabbed her yo-yo and jumped to the next building. Smiling like an idiot, Adrien followed her.

-x-

That night, Marinette couldn't sleep. She was too excited to do it.

"Oh Tikki", she said after she grabbed a blanket and sat on her balcony floor. "Adrien is Chat Noir! How could I be so lucky?"

The kwami giggled. "Marinette, I'm the embodiment of good luck!"

"Still, it's surreal! The two guys I like are one and the same! And _he likes me_!"

Well, Adrien/Chat Noir (Adrien Noir?) liked Ladybug, but that was a small detail. All she had to do was reveal herself and let him get used to the idea. She hoped Marinette and Adrien were close enough for him to accept her being Ladybug.

Maybe it wouldn't be hard. Now that she knew her crushes were the same person, merging them into one was so easy she felt dumb for not realizing it sooner (okay, there was the glamour, but... but!); Adrien would probably feel the same.

She was making up scenarios in which she revealed herself, all of them ending up with kisses and cuddles... then she remembered _why_ she never did that.

"Tikki... It would still be dangerous for Chat to know my identity, wouldn't it?" She asked in a low, sad tone.

"Well, he _is_ the one that gets possessed by akuma victims...", the tiny creature answered.

"Have... other Ladybugs and Chat Noirs shown themselves to each other?"

Tikki nodded, but quickly added. "But each generation faced a different danger, Marinette, and each dealt with it their own way. Sometimes they would tell each other who they were in early stages, sometimes never. This is your decision, and it must take your situation into account, not a past you didn't live."

Marinette nodded and stayed silent, thinking about her kwami's words. She fell asleep an hour later, still torn between telling Chat Noir and protecting her identity.

-x-

Meanwhile, Adrien was freaking out.

"She knows she knows she knows she knows she knows-"

"Shut up Adrien, I'm trying to sleep."

"But Plagg, she _knows_! She knows who I am! Isn't it the thing we were all trying to avoid the most? And now she knows the famous supermodel Adrien Agreste is nothing but a dork who tells bad puns and-"

Plagg threw himself into his chosen's face, hitting his nose. "Adrien, _shut! Up!_ " He nearly shouted. "I am _not_ going to spend all night listening to your _ridiculous_ mumbling. Ladybug _just told you_ she isn't disappointed at all. And she laughs at your puns, even though they really are bad. So now can you stop hating yourself and go to sleep?"

Adrien blinked. And blinked again. And again. "What about our safety?"

"Too late to think about that. No, I'm not replacing you. Also no, you won't die just because your identity was revealed. Now sleep. Don't you have a test tomorrow?"

With that Adrien was asleep within minutes.

-x-

The next two weeks were the craziest. Between akumas and finals, neither Marinette or Adrien found time (or energy) to think better about their situation. There were times Marinette even _forgot_ she knew Chat's identity.

One day (their second to last school day, actually), though, when she saw Adrien waiting for his driver with a sad and tired face, she couldn't just walk past him with a simple 'see you tomorrow'. This was her kitty, and he was suffering. "Adrien", she touched his shoulder, "are you okay?"

He blinked, turning to face her, taken by surprise. To her frustration, he quickly put his model smile on. "I'm fine, Mari, just tired of so many tests. What about you?"

She ignored his polite question. "You looked sad, Adrien... too sad for it to just be because of finals." She sighed. "We're friends, Adrien. Please tell me what's wrong, I want to help."

He didn't answer immediately. For a few moments, he just stared into her eyes. She forgot to breathe. He was looking at her so intently, with so much emotion...

"How can you be so... caring?" He whispered, as if he didn't want her to hear. Not waiting for a reply, he broke eye contact and looked briefly at the street before facing her again. "A... friend of mine discovered something about me. Something that we both agreed to keep a secret. And even though she seems fine with it, I'm afraid it damaged our relationship."

She smiled softly and placed her hand on his hair. He was talking about them. Ladybug and Chat Noir. "Adrien..." she said in a low voice. She wanted so badly to tell him she, Ladybug, was right there. That he didn't damage anything, on the contrary. That she loved him deeply. But her fears resurfaced at that very moment. She heard a possessed Chat Noir shouting her name for all of Paris to hear. "If your friend really cares about you, she won't push you away. Have faith on what she said, okay? You won't lose her."

She expected him to just say thank you and smile; maybe tell her she was a good friend. Instead, he hugged her tightly. Once again she stopped breathing.

"What did I do to deserve you in my life?" He asked softly, almost intimate.

She released her breath and hugged him back. "Just being you." She nearly added 'chaton' in the end, but managed to refrain herself.

They hugged until his driver arrived. He whispered goodbye in the same near-intimate tone and smiled (a true smile, not a model one) and left. Marinette only walked back home when she could no longer see the black limo.

-x-

One thing everyone agreed on was that, ever since Chloe came out of the closet, things got better.

They were still getting used to her positive changes, which was why her invitation to a end-of-the-year party at her house was received with big surprise.

"What? Didn't I invite you all to a ball once?"

Alya was the first to respond. "Because Adrien threatened to end your friendship. Now you don't have any reason."

"Maybe _Sabrina_ threatened her this time", Alix suggested.

" _Nobody_ threatened me to anything", Chloe replied dryly. "I just have nothing better to do. So, as I was saying, party starts 9 PM. Dress nicely, you guys are going to the mayor's house. Don't make me regret this."

Max raised his hand. "Do we have to bring dates or something?"

Chole blinked. "Oh, Max, that's a really important detail, thanks for reminding me." Everyone was shocked that she thanked Max, but she kept talking anyway. "You won't be kicked out if you show up alone, but since most of our class is either dating or about to, I'm putting a few things for couples to have fun together. So yeah, bringing a date is good." A beat. "Of course, _you_ will have to match Sabrina's dress. I won't let my best friend look anything less than amazing, which means you won't ruin her looks by wearing something random."

Sabrina blushed furiously and Max choked. Chloe just handed him a card and told him to meet her at some clothing shop after class. No one bothered to point out that Max and Sabrina weren't dating... yet.

-x-

There had been no need for Marinette or Adrien to ask the other to be their date at Chloe's party. Alya did that for them.

Marinette's effort was, instead, directed at pushing Alix to ask Kim out. Literally.

"I'm just returning the favor", she said with a devious smile. Alix glared at her, but asked Kim anyway.

He blushed. And blinked. And said something not even Max was able to understand.

"Kim, at least answer Alix in human language", his friend said.

"YES!", he shouted. "Y-yes, I'll go with you."

Marinette giggled and turned to see Adrien waiting for her. She went to him. "Hey, Adrien", she greeted him with a smile.

He smiled in return. "Hey, Mari." He'd been using that nickname for quite some time. "I was wondering if you have any idea for us both to wear. Since you are a fashion designer and all."

She giggled at the fact that he already considered her a designer. Then an idea struck her. "Well, we could go with something Ladybug and Chat Noir themed. What do you think?"

He nearly choked on his saliva. "P-Paris superheroes? Oh, gr-great! That's an awesome idea! What... What are you thinking of?"

"I made a Ladybug dress for myself last month, but haven't used it yet. I won't have time to make something for you, but... you just need a black suit and green tie."

He grinned. "Oh, no bell?"

She laughed. "If you want... or you can get a belt to use as a tail. I find Chat's tail... kind of sexy." She grinned when he blushed. "Do you want me to go shopping with you?"

"No, actually I have all you listed already. Pick you up at 8:30?"

She nodded excitedly.

-x-

Due to the party, Chat Noir asked Ladybug to patrol earlier. "Of course! I have somewhere to go tonight as well?"

He was surprised to know that. Oh, if only he knew.

They met behind Notre Dame at 6. By 8 they had everything covered. "My Lady, I'm afraid I have to go", he said, kissing her hand. "I have to pick my date to the party."

She smirked. "A date? Who's the lucky girl, kitty?"

He blushed and rubbed his neck. "I think I'm the lucky one, to be honest." Ladybug tensed at that, but he didn't notice. "Marinette, she's... an amazing girl, really. We had a rough start, but now we're really good friend and I'm so happy to have her in my life..."

Although shocked, she was curious. His sentence sounded incomplete. "But?"

He sighed. "I... I want us to be more than friends, you know. I like her. A lot. I've been crushing on her for a year now, but never had the courage to do anything about it." A pause. "Do you think I should ask her out?"

It took her a while to answer. How do you give advice about yourself without the other knowing it's you? Ugh, secret identities were so confusing. "I think... you should. If she can't see how amazing you are, she's not worth your time and feelings."

She turned her back on him, reading herself to go home. "Chat, Adrien", she said softly, turning her head slightly at his direction. "Maybe you already know it, but I love you. I really do. I want you to be happy, and you deserve it more than anyone else. And I hope this girl... I hope Marinette makes you happy. It's the least she can do for you." With that she left.

-x-

Adrien detransformed on a random roof, feeling too many emotions at once to wait to get home. He needed to vent to Plagg.

"Did you hear that? Ladybug... she loves me! Me! She knows I'm Adrien and she loves me! I... I'm so confused right now."

Plagg said nothing, grabbing a piece of cheese out of the suit's pocket.

"How can I ask Marinette out knowing Ladybug loves me?"

Now his kwami talked. "How do you feel about Marinette?"

Silence. Adrien stared at nothing for some minutes before finally answering. "I told Ladybug I like Marinette a lot, but... it's not true. No, it's true, just not enough. I... I'm in love with her. It's not just a crush." A pause. "But I've been in love with Ladybug for two years, Plagg."

"Yeah, but you can't date Ladybug without her telling you her civilian identity." He took a bite of cheese. "Just go for Marinette, kid. If she says no, you go back to Ladybug. Didn't she just tell you to do so?"

Adrien nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I have to go home first though. Plagg, transform me!"


	3. Summer nights side by side

Adrien knocked on the bakery's door moments after Marinette finished getting ready. She went down quickly to be met by the most handsome man in the world.

Her heart skipped a beat upon seeing him, but he was no better. Her partner stood still when looked at her. Slowly, both of them snapped back into reality. He took a few steps ahead and took her hand.

"You look even more beautiful tonight, Mari." He kissed her hand in a way that reminded her so much of Chat Noir that, once again, she felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. "Shall we go?"

Smiling, she nodded. They said goodbye to her parents, who gave the pair mischievous grins that made both blush a little.

The ride to the Burgeouis hotel was quick and silent. Both Marinette and Adrien were trying to look subtletly at one another, which led to a ridiculous amount of blushes and side glances. However, when they left the car, he offered her his arm with a smile, as if nothing had happened. Smiling back, she grabbed it, and both entered the building.

At the entrance, there was a photo booth with two seats. Two photos were already sticked there: one of Sabrina and Max and another of Nathaniel and Lila. Both couples looked really cute together, which gave Marinette some courage to ask Adrien, "Do you want to take pictures?"

He blinked a couple times before nodding. Both got in the booth and smiled for the camera.

It might be needless to say, but one could see faint blushes in both of their faces. They'd say it was the camera's fault (it wasn't).

Indeed, when they got in only five of their classmates were already in the hall. Chloe approached them and greeted them with polite kisses on the cheeks (though she grinned wider when greeting Adrien). "Oh thank God you showed up", she said, "I was about to sign up on Tinder just to get a fake girlfriend to show up."

All three laughed at that. "I told you to woo Lila before Nathaniel did", Adrien scolded jokingly. "Now you missed the only other girl in our year who could date you."

Chloe shook her head. "There was no way I'd go for Lila. She got better and all, but she still did too many bad stuff to you to be girlfriend material. Nope, I plan to stay single until college, where I can find all the hot and smart ones. Only the best for the amazing Chloe Burgeouis!"

Another set of laughs after that. Chloe changed, but not that much.

Alya and Nino arrived 20 minutes later. The rest arrived within the hour. Even though they were few, they knew how to party. Especially Kim and Alix with Nino as DJ.

There were other stuff for couples to have fun, but Marinette did not dare ask for Adrien to go to them. She didn't want him to think she was taking advantage of the situation. The boy, on the other, was just feeling too nervous to ask her.

At one moment, he got cornered by Lila of all people. "Look Agreste", she said sharply, "I did not get egged by Chloe, Alya and Alix to see you making heart-eyes at Marinette and do absolutely nothing about it."

Taken by surprise (when did this happen?), he only managed to stutter, "You... You have a boyfriend, L-Lila."

His shy reminder doesn't affect her in the slightest. "I do, and he's great, thank you very much. But it doesn't make it any less frustrating to see you pining after someone who obviously likes you back." She glances to her boyfriend. "Nathaniel comments on it sometimes too. He had to be akumatized to gather the courage to ask Marinette out, but once he said he was a bit worried that not even that would be enough for you to confess."

She opened her mouth as if to say more, but changed her mind and left. Marinette found him moments later, offering him a dance. "I guess I should return the favor", she explained shyly.

He doesn't think twice before taking her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

She doesn't know for how long they danced together, but it didn't seem enough. Granted, it probably would never be.

It was Adrien who stopped, asking her to talk somewhere private. She nodded and let him take her to a balcony nearby.

There, it took him some time and deep breaths to speak. "Mari", he says softly, making her heart skip a beat, "I... I like you. I've always said you're an amazing friend, and you are. But, if you want, I'd like us to be... more than that." He swallowed. "I saw all those couple stuff at the party and kept imagining how it would be fun to do those things with you. And then when we were dancing... I only stopped because I was afraid I'd confess in the middle of the dance floor. If it were for me I'd spend all night holding you." A gulp. "I'm sorry if I'm coming too forward--"

"No!", she all but shouted. Then, more quietly, she said, "I... I'm actually happy to hear it, Adrien. I like you too. A lot. That's why I used to stutter so much around you. I've been crushing on you since... since the day you handed me your umbrella."

He didn't answer, at least not with words. Eyes wide, he got closer until their foreheads touched. Her breathing became unsteady when he rested a hand on her cheek and another on her waist, pulling her into his direction, closing the little space left between them. Before she can overthink it, her eyes closed and she felt his lips on hers.

It was a chaste, quick kiss, but enough to mess up with her heart and mind. Butterflies (or purified akumas?) danced around her stomach and all other organs in her abdome. These few seconds felt etheral, like a dream.

They pulled away slowly and again rested their foreheads together. Both were blushing and smiling, though hers was wider. With now both arms around her waist, he asked, "Mari, will you go out with me tomorrow after lunch?"

Not trusting her voice, she just nodded, He hugged her and, without saying much, they get back to the dance floor.

 _The following night_

Given they barely did patrol the night before, Ladybug and Chat Noir agreed to patrol again. Both arrive at the top of Notre Dame with big smiles on their faces.

"Good evening, my lady. So happy to see me again, huh?"

She giggles. "You never change, do you?" She sighs, thinking of how to explain her happiness to Chat Noir. She couldn't say much about their date without revealing herself as Marinette, and she had just told him she loved him the previous night. "I just had an awesome day, that's all. You know, first day of summer vacation and all that."

Better to say nothing at all.

"What about you, chaton? You look happier than usual."

"Oh, I had an awesome day too! But since you already know who I am, I guess I can tell you details." His smile turns to a grin. "Well, after we do our first round, of course. Can't leave Paris in danger!"

He doesn't see her smile upon jumping to another building. Is he this happy because of their date?

She jumps around the city for half an hour before covering all her territory and going back. Chat arrives five minutes later and begins to tell her about their date.

It's ridiculously hard to pretend she doesn't know anything about it. Adrien, the popcorn seller's name is Pietro, not Pierre! You got it wrong again!

But apparently she manages to keep a straight face during his whole speech, since he never looks at her strangely. He finishes with, "I want to ask her to be my girlfriend next week?"

"What?" She shouts. Then, realizing her mistake, she quickly corrects herself. "I mean, already? Aren't you two, you know, going on more dates first? Isn't it what couples do?"

He doesn't seem to notice her mild nervousness. He's too busy blushing (it's soooo adorable!). "I guess, but... She told my at Chloe's party that she's got a crush on me for almost two years. I couldn't believe it. I still can't. And... I just don't want to waste any more time, you know? We could have gotten together way sooner if I wasn't so coward to tell her my feelings, why waiting for more dates? I already know I'll do anything to make us work. She deserves it."

There is something Ladybug learned with all of this situation.

Hearing your crush say nice things to you is amazing, true.

But hearing them talk so lovingly of you when they don't know you're listening is too wonderful to even be true.

Ladybug/Marinette is definitely on cloud nine.

It's only when Chat tilts his head that she realizes she's daydreaming. "Oops, sorry! Got lost in thought for a moment."

"Several moments, my lady."

"Okay, I got lost in thought for several moments. Anyway! If you feel so strongly for her, I guess it's worth a shot!"

He hugs her. "Thank you, my lady! Your opinion means a lot to me!"

She hugs him back, placing her head on his shoulder. They stay quietly like this for a good amount of minutes, until Chat breaks the silence (but not the hug). "I hope we can stay friends, Ladybug."

She knows why he's saying this. "Don't worry, Chat. You're my best friend, and nothing will change it."

 _Two months later_

If this author is being honest, there isn't much to say.

As any of you expects, Adrien did ask Marinette to date him the next week. She obviously said yes.

These two months together were as disgustingly cute as you can imagine. Adrien only fell more and more in love with Marinette, and vice-versa.

However, on their two-month anniversary, she realizes something. She's been falling for both Adrien and Chat Noir, but her kitty probably wasn't feeling the same for both Marinette and Ladybug. She is depriving him of the wonderful feeling of being in love with the most two important girls on his life (she knew this because he told her) because she's too scared to show herself.

Oh well. She won't hide anymore. I will tell him on our next patrol.

Or she will try. There is no way of knowing she won't have a heart attack before being able to tell him.


	4. Love's just a feeling

Her first attempt was on their following patrol. They were resting on top of Eiffel Tower after checking the entire city, and Chat Noir was telling her about... well, herself. Only as Marinette.

"Chat", she called him eventually. He turned to her, and she gulped. "I-I have something to tell you..."

"I'm all ears, Ladybug", he assured. "All four", he added, winking.

She gave a strangled chuckle. "I... Chat, I'm-"

A scream interrupted her. They both stood to check what it was. "An akuma?", she heard Chat say.

"Most likely", she agreed. "Let's go. We'll talk later." And they jumped into action.

* * *

'Later' seemed to never come. Whenever Ladybug tried to tell the truth to Chat Noir (or even Adrien), something would interrupt her. Usually an akuma, but sometimes fans would show up out of literally nowhere.

It was like the universe was trying to give her a warning.

"I give up, Tikki", she all but shouted at the end of the second week. "Clearly the universe doesn't want me to reveal myself to my boyfriend."

Tikki only giggled at her. "Tikki, stop laughing at my misery! The least you could do was to help me!"

Her kwami nuzzled her cheek and sat on her tablet, still grinning. "Mari, Mari, you chose the wrong persona to come out to Adrien!"

She frowned. "What? You're saying I should tell him as Marinette?"

"Of course! Not in a public place, of course. Either here or at his house, so I can pop out of your purse without worries."

At first, Marinette didn't say a thing, considering what Tikki said. Eventually, she nodded. "His father scheduled a meeting between us tomorrow night. I can arrive early to talk to Adrien about this." Tikki nodded enthusiastically.

Later, she noticed something about her own sentence. Wasn't it sad that Adrien had to schedule a meeting with his own father to introduce his girlfriend?

* * *

Marinette was anxious the whole day. Would she manage to tell him she was Ladybug? Would they be interrupted again?

By noon she had already pictured a hundred scenarios where things went wrong, including his father catching them and forbidding Adrien not only of dating her, but of being Chat Noir.

Tikki, her beloved Tikki, she did her best to calm Marinette down. And even reminded her of everything she had to take to the Agreste mansion.

"Don't forget your designs! He surely wants to see them!"

"Remember the little gift you made for him."

"My cookies, don't forget them!"

"Maybe you could take some cheese to Plagg, in case we stay at Adrien's room while you have dinner? I think he's still into Camembert."

It was Gorilla who picked Marinette, without Adrien. Her boyfriend had warned her in advance he had piano lessons right before their dinner, but she said she wanted to watch him play. His wide smile almost made her tell the truth - that she wanted to take the time between the lessons and the dinner to talk to him.

But she did want to see him playing the piano, so...

Gorilla didn't enter the mansion with her. She expected Nathalie to be waiting for her, but she was nowhere to be seen either. She had only gotten to Adrien's room through the window, so she had no idea how to reach it inside the house.

Oh well, she'd have to figure it out by herself.

Wait, maybe his lessons are in another room, she thought. Well, I'll start from this floor. So she wandered around, hearing out for any piano sounds. She only found the sound of Gabriel Agreste's voice. Maybe he's with Adrien!

"You know Nathalie, maybe I should delay my big plan to after school starts again", she heard him say. Plan? Was it something for Adrien? "That way I can assure most of my previous akumas will be here to be re-akumatized again. Some of them would help greatly."

Akumas? His akumas? Ishe...

"I agree with you, sir", Nathalie said in response. "From what I heard Adrien say, half of his classmates are away this summer, and if I recall, you said you wanted to re-akumatize Dark Cupid and Vanisher."

Could it be? But he was akumatized not long ago!

"Yes, among others. Pharaoh would be useful to me, along with the Burgeois household."

But his words left no doubt. Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth, and Nathalie was his ally.

Holding her breath and moving silently as possible, Marinette left the corridor and hushed upstairs. There, she finally heard the sound of piano notes, coming from his room. She got in quietly, waving to Adrien as she sat down.

A few minutes later, the lesson was over. As soon as he closed the door, Adrien hugged and kissed his girlfriend. "Mind if I go to the bathroom before we head downstairs, princess? I can show you the house."

"O-oh, it won't be needed!", she said quickly. Then she looked down. "I kind of got lost, so I explored the whole mansion before finding your room! Hehe..."

He raised his eyebrows, but giggled soon after. "Okay, then. I'll be back soon."

As he closed his bathroom door, Tikki left her purse. "I thought you were going to tell him now!"

"I know, I know", she whispered. "But I don't feel comfortable telling him I'm Ladybug here of all places. Did you hear what I heard?"

Her kwami nodded. "Yeah, it's safer to do it at your home. But this discovery only reinforces that you should share your identity with him. At this point it's the best strategy for us all."

Marinette agreed.

* * *

The dinner was quiet. Marinette did her best to be polite and offered her designs for Gabriel to check. "Thank you for your kindness, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, but I'm afraid I won't be able to look through your notebook tonight. We can schedule another day for you to come here with them, especially if you want some feedback."

"That would be amazing, Mounsieur Agreste. I'll check my own schedule and will tell Adrien about it, if it's okay." He nodded.

The final goodbyes couldn't come fast enough. She politely refuse a ride home, claiming she had somewhere to go before heading home and didn't want to hold Gorilla for more time than necessary. After walking two blocks, she slipped into an alley and transformed. Quickly she jumped to Adrien's room.

"L-Ladybug?", he asked, surprised. Beside him, Plagg stood serious. Tikki said the two talked while Marinette and Adrien were at dinner, so he knew everything.

"Follow me", she said bluntly. "I have something to show you. It's important."

He nodded and called his transformation. She guided him to her balcony. "Ladybug... did something happen to Marinette? Did she not make it to her house?"

She quickly turned to place her hands on his shoulders. "No, Chat, Marinette is fine. The thing I need to show you is inside her bedroom, and she allowed us to go inside."

His confusion was clear, but he nodded and followed. Ladybug was glad he still trusted her blindly, even though he thought to be dating someone else. She locked the door above them and the one that led to her bedroom from inside. "Hm, Chat, just... don't have a heart attack."

"Why would I have a-"

"Detransform!"

The rest of the question died on Chat's lips as Ladybug was replaced by his girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He opened and closed his mouth many times, but his mind was blank. "Detransform", he eventually whispered, but kept quiet. Marinette stood there, waiting for a reaction.

He can't be disappointed, right? I'm his girlfriend and superhero partner, it's a perfect match!

Well, he must be in shock. That's probably how I'd have reacted if I hadn't been so concerned of him being stabbed.

Eventually, he moved. He grabbed her by the waist and gave her the most passionate kiss they ever had. She soon got lost on the kiss and grabbed his hair, pulling him even closer.

Yeah, not disappointed. At all!

They only pulled away when their lungs demanded for air, something that had never happened before. "Wow", she said, breathless. "You just made me wish I had managed to tell you even sooner."

He gave a breathless laugh. "Was that what you tried to tell me as Ladybug for the last two weeks?"

"Oh, now he speaks. And yes. I almost gave up, and then Tikki suggested I did it as Marinette. I was going to reveal myself to you earlier tonight, but..." Her smile faded. She surely wasn't going to get a kiss for this revelation.

"But?"

She looked at Tikki and Plagg. Her kwami nodded and floated until she was directly facing Adrien. "Marinette and I heard your father and Nathalie talking while looking for you in the mansion. And... there is no doubt, Adrien. Your father is Hawkmoth, and Nathalie is assisting him."

Tikki explained what they heard, but it was clear that Adrien wasn't paying much attention. She guided him to her bed, where he sat down. Eventually he looked at Plagg. "How did we never notice it?"

Plagg shrugged. "I don't know, kid. Maybe Hawkmoth found a way to block Noroo from being sensed by us. Given he has the book of miraculouses, it's possible." He then sat on Adrien's shoulder. "Look, don't beat yourself up over this. If anything, I should have been the one to discover Noroo, but Tikki wasn't able to sense him either."

"So he managed to akumatize himself? How?"

"We have no idea, Adrien", Tikki answered.

Marinette sat beside him and hugged him tight. "We'll find a way around it, chaton", she whispered. "I'll be by your side no matter what." She parted a little to look into his eyes. "I love you, Adrien. I'll stand by you always."

His eyes watered. "I love you too, Marinette. More than ever, now that I know all of you." He kissed her lightly and rested his forehead on hers. "And with you, I'm ready for anything. Even fighting my father."

That night, Adrien slept by Marinette's side. Even though he had to wake up early to head home, he felt more loved than ever. He didn't lie to Marinette; as long as his princess and his lady was with him, he could face anything.

They just needed a plan, obviously.


End file.
